Construction Material Checklist for a Chennai House, Stage by Stage

Before You Order Anything

Get the drawings first. Your structural engineer's drawings give the concrete grades and cement type, and the bar bending schedule (BBS) gives the steel by diameter. Your architect's drawings give the wall lengths that decide the block count. A per-sq-ft shortcut can't do that job, so we don't publish one. For a rough budget before the drawings are ready, use the construction cost calculator (an AI-based assumption, not a site price).

Then check how each material is priced and where it can be delivered. Quotes from different suppliers often mix GST-inclusive and GST-extra rates, which makes a cheap-looking rate look cheaper than it is.

We work on advance payment before dispatch, with no credit. Delivery is 24–48 hours after the order is confirmed, and an order can be cancelled only before loading.

Stage 1: Foundation and Plinth

The first loads to reach a Chennai site are usually steel and concrete materials for the footings.

• TMT steel to the BBS. Footings and columns starting from the foundation take the heavier diameters. Order by the schedule, size by size. Our bar bending schedule to order guide shows how a BBS becomes kilos and 12 m bars.
• Cement. PPC is the usual choice; use OPC 53 where your engineer specifies it. Our cement per cubic metre table shows how many bags go into M10, M15 and M20 concrete.
• Sand and jelly for concrete. Water-wash M-sand is the fine aggregate and 20 mm jelly the usual coarse aggregate for concrete. Use the sizes your drawings specify.

Footing work is where steel and cement are often bought too early. A stack of cement bags that waits a month for the site to be ready loses strength, so time cement to the pour, not to the start of excavation.

Stage 2: Columns, Beams and Slab

This is the biggest stage for steel and concrete, and the one where the mix decision matters.

• Steel follows the BBS again. Check every diameter on the schedule is covered by the brand you choose; our TMT steel brand and grade guide explains Fe500D vs Fe550D.
• Concrete. Site mixing works for smaller pours at M20 and below. IS 456 allows nominal mixes only up to M20, so M25 and stronger grades need a design mix, and ready mix concrete is usually simpler for a full slab. The RMC vs site-mixed concrete guide covers the trade-offs.
• Near the sea (Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, the ECR stretch), concrete cover and mix quality protect the reinforcement first. Corrosion-resistant bars add a margin, but only where your engineer specifies them. See coastal sites: CRS bars and concrete cover.

Stage 3: Masonry

Walls come next. External walls commonly use 6- or 8-inch AAC blocks and internal partitions 4-inch, but follow your drawings. Block counts depend on wall lengths and openings, so check them with your mason before you order. Masonry mortar takes cement and P-sand.

Choosing between block types? Read AAC blocks vs red bricks for Chennai homes, and compare sizes on the AAC block price page.

Stage 4: Plastering and Flooring

Plastering takes cement and P-sand (plastering sand). Flooring screed uses 6 mm jelly. For the difference between sand types, see M-sand vs river sand in Chennai.

Tiles, paint, plumbing and electrical items aren't on our list. Buy those from specialist dealers.

Ordering Through the Northeast Monsoon (October to December)

Chennai gets most of its heavy rain from the northeast monsoon, October to December, not the June monsoon. That's when material waiting on site is most at risk.

• Order in tranches that match the work ahead: foundation, structure, masonry, finishing.
• Cement: use it within about 90 days of the packing date, stack it on pallets off the floor, away from walls, and cover it. More in how to check and store cement.
• Steel: keep bars off the ground on timber or blocks, covered, sorted by size. See storing TMT steel on a Chennai site.

Checking Each Delivery

Do these checks while the lorry is still at the site.

• Cement: the ISI mark, grade and maker on every bag, a packing date within 90 days, and 2–3 random bags weighed against the 50 kg net mark.
• TMT steel: the ISI mark, grade and BIS licence (CM/L) number rolled on the bar (you can check the number in the BIS Care app). Then the heat number on the mill test certificate against the bundle tag, and the invoice weight against the weighbridge slip. We bill steel on the supplier's weight.
• Sand and jelly: sold by volume, so check the load against the units you were quoted (1 unit = 100 cft). For sand, a jar test helps: shake a handful with water in a clear glass and let it settle. A thick silt layer on top means it wasn't washed well.
• Blocks: even size, straight edges, no cracks; count them against the invoice.

Keep a material register with delivery dates, quantities and bill numbers. It's the quickest way to spot a short delivery or unusual wastage.

Common Questions

When should I buy cement and steel?

Close to the stage that uses them. Buy steel once the BBS for that stage is final, and cement in lots you'll use well within 90 days of the packing date. Rates change, so check the day's price list when you order.

Can one supplier deliver everything?

We supply cement, TMT steel, M-sand, P-sand, jelly, blocks and ready mix concrete on one quote. Cement and steel are delivered across Tamil Nadu; sand, jelly and blocks within Chennai only.

Do you deliver sand outside Chennai?

No. M-sand, P-sand, jelly and blocks are delivered within Chennai only.

How is TMT steel billed?

On the supplier's weight for the load. Book weights per bar are used for quotes as an estimate.

Ready to order? Get a consolidated quote for your project, or contact us for a confirmed bulk/project rate on larger orders.